Balloting device.



H. 0 000K. BALLOTING, DEVICE.

-APPLIUATION FILED JULY 11, 1910 1,056,502; Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

ATTORNEY.

Z y I E I p 7 HERBERT C. COOK, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

BALLOTING DEVICE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18,1913.

Application filed. July 11, 1910. Serial No. 571,445.

To all whom it may concern I Be it known that I, HERBERT O. COOK, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Balloting Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in balloting devices of a kind especially adapted for secret balloting in lodges, societies and clubs; and it has for its object to provide a balloting device which is particularly advantageous for its stated purpose by reason of the construction or formation of the parts and the combination or arrangement thereof.

The balloting device is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, is described in conjunction therewith, and is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is a plan View on a larger scale; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view as taken on the line 3-3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken from end to end through the drawer for the re ception of the balloting balls.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

The balloting device includes a casing A having a substantially horizontal partition B dividing it into upper and lower compartments a, b, and the said casing has an opening (l at its front which leads to the lower compartment Z). The partition B has a hole f therethrough at a location near, and centrally relatively to, the said opening d, which hole is surrounded by an upstanding tube D which advantageously is made with a flaring mouth; and the middle portion of the said partition 13 is made concave whereby the balls 00 for balloting will be naturally grouped or nested within the middle portion of the false bottom of the casing conducing to convenience in balloting. The partition B is preferably surfaced at its upper side with a covering of cloth or other sound deadening material.

G represents a drawer to be entered into the lower compartment through the afore said opening d and to be practically wholly inclosed within the casing but capable of being fully drawn out and away from the casing by the handle knob g. The said drawer has a closing means for its top which in the present instance is represented by a horizontal wall h closing the forward end portion of the drawer and the hinge connected and movable cover 71 made with an ear or extension j at the rear end for convenience in upwardly swinging the cover to open the drawer. Through the top wall section it is an aperture m to register with the lower end of the aforesaid tube D.

E represents a cover hinged to the top of the casing and for closing the same when the balloting device is not in use.

As regards minor characteristics and features it may be stated that the parts are principally composed of sheet metal, and the casing is supported on a standard or pedestal N; and the partition which divides the easing into upper and lower compartments in the manner of a false bottom may be separately formed from the casing proper from a circular piece of sheet metal and dropped to place onto an internal ledge 0 with which the upstanding wall of the easing is provided.

In order that the plate or horizontal partition wall will not become accidentally turned from its proper position so that the tube carried thereby will be out of registry with the hole m in the top of the inserted drawer, a rib If is provided vertically in the casing wall with which the notch like recess a in the edge of the partition plate has a rotation preventing engagement. And in order that the inserted drawer may not slide out from its place in the lower compartment, especially when the balloting device may be carried by its supporting standard in other than an upright position a curved spring plate 2) extending approximately horizontally from the rear wall of the casing for wardly exerts a tensioning and retaining effect upon the drawer, which latter is guided between parallel upstanding ribs to 'w arranged in opposition and extending rearwardly on the bottom of the casing from either side of the front opening d.

hen the device is to be used in a lodge, club, or elsewhere, for balloting, the balls both black and white are all retained in the upper compartment of the casing, the cover of which is swung open, and the empty drawer is entered in the lower compartment, as represented in Fig. 3; the members one after another will go up to the ballot box and take, each, one of the balls, black or white, according to the desire of voting and drop it into theropen mouth of the tube D, whereupon it will fall through the hole on in the closed top of the drawer into the latter. The closing cover for the drawer provides means for concealing the ballot balls during the time that the drawer is being conveyed from the balloting device to the oflicer whose duty it is to count the ballots.

1. A balloting device comprising a casing aving a substantially horizontal partition dividing it into upper and lower compartments, said casing having an opening at its front leading to the lower compartment, there being a hole formed through said partition, said partition being located below the upper edge of the casing and being adapted to support ballot balls, a drawer adapted to enter the lower compartment through the opening in the front of said casing, a fixed top portion for said drawer, an opening in said fixed top portion with which the opening in the partition registers when said drawer is inserted in the lower compartment, a cover member hingedly connected to said fixed top portion, adapted to cover the remainder of the drawer, said hinged cover member having an overhanging angu lar portion at the inner-end of the drawer and a friction member carried by the casing which rides over said angular portion and bears upon said hinged cover member when the drawer is in its closed position.

2. A balloting device comprising a casing, an internal ledge carried by said casing, a partition having a concave central portion resting loosely upon said ledge, interengaging means between said partition and the wall of the casing to prevent said partition from turning with relation to said casing, there being an opening formed through said partition, an upstanding flaring tube, the lower end of which registers with the opening ofthe partition, a drawer adapted to be inserted through the opening formed in the front wall of the casing, and a 'top portion for said drawer, there being an opening formed through said top portion which registers with the opening formed in the partition.

3. A balloting device comprising a casing, an internal ledge carried by said c1 sing, a partition having a concave central portion resting loosely upon said ledge, interengaging means between said partition and the wall of the casing to prevent said partition from turning with relation to said casing, there being an openin formed through said partition, an upstan ing flaring tube, the lower end of which registers with the opening of the partition, a drawer adapted to be inserted through the opening formed in the front wall of the casing, a top portion for said drawer, there being an opening formed through said top portion which registers with the opening formed in the partition, and a hinged cover member comprised in said top portion which has an overhanging angular end and a yielding friction member secured to the wall of the casing and adapted to ride over said angular portion and rest upon said hinged cover member when the drawer is closed.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT G. COOK. lVitnesses G. R. DRISCOLL, WM. S. BELLOWS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

